


Chilled to the Bone

by SnowMoonyx



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-08-23 13:51:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20243911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowMoonyx/pseuds/SnowMoonyx
Summary: Four had only gone to get Wind for dinner. A misplaced step and a patch of moss in addition to the Hero's Courage later he found himself in a freezing river, rushing straight for a waterfall.And the funny thing? Four couldn't swim.





	Chilled to the Bone

"Has anyone seen Wind? Dinner will be done soon."

Four looked up from his sketchbook at Wild's question. Their company had the same day made camp at the foot of a mountain, this time in Time's Hyrule. The area around was lush, and they were close to Zora's domain apparently, ponds, rivers and lakes dotting the landscape all around. The one that had been thrilled the most was Wind, the youngest being extatic about bodies of water, be it small or huge. He had raced off to play before anyone could stop him, and not really minding they let him be. The place seemed pretty safe, no bokoblins nor moblins in sight.

"I think he's by the edge of the small cliff, at the top by the waterfall? It's that-a-ways." Sky pointed vaguely southward, to a cluster of rocks by the river in the distance.

Both Twilight and Time made to stand up, but Four put away his sketchbook and waved them back down. "I'll go get him, I want to stretch my legs a bit before dinner." He got up, dusting off his tunic.

Legend snorted. "Stretch what? You barely got legs at all." Four simply rolled his eyes, all too used to Legend's amplified snark when he was hungry.

"Whatever you say. We'll be back soon."

Wind was not too far away, so Four settled for a slow pace. The sun was still in the sky but it was slowly setting, painting the few overhanging clouds a light pink colour. He was slowly closing in on the stones that surrounded the waterfall, his footsteps falling in a rhythm. He sped up shortly after though, feeling the cold and missing the warmth from the campfire. It wasn't quite winter yet but they were way above sea-level, and he had always been sensitive to the cold. He wrapped his arms around him, lightly jumping up the rocks, spotting his target with ease.

"Wind, dinner's ready."

The young hero had been sending various objects down the waterfall, watching with fascination as they rushed down. It wasn't a huge fall, six-or-seven meters tall at most, so Wind could easily see the outcome down there. Four couldn't help but smile at the sight, Wind's childlike curiosity still peaking.

Wind looked up, tired yet bright eyes wide. He grinned. "Alright, coming!" He jumped up from his kneeling stance, getting ready to climb over the rocks blocking his path when he misplaced his step on a patch of slippery moss. Four flinched, and with reflexes worthy of a Hero of Courage he jumped forward, shoving Wind back onto the ground as he himself splashed into the freezing water.

It dawned on him that he didn't know how to swim.

"Four!!"

The seemingly small and quiet river was suddenly roaring in his ears. He had to fight to keep his head above the water, too preoccupied to answer Wind. It was a wild struggle against the surprisingly deep river, and the stream brought him closer and closer to the waterfall. He was gasping and coughing, breathing in water instead of air as he splashed wildly around him.

"TIME! TWILIGHT! HELP! LINK!!"

Wind's hysterical voice was all Four could hear before the rush of the waterfall took him completely over, knocking all remaining air out of his lungs. On the way downward he banged his head against something, and between that, the icy water and lack of air he fell into unconsciousness, the river now being the decider of his fate.

~§~§~

  
Upon hearing Wind's anguished calls for them all the Links jumped up from their seats, immediately running towards the source of distress. Multiple scenarios ran through their heads, from moblins to stalfos' to a swarm of keese.

Making sure he was behind them all Twilight made quick work to transform, shortly after being in the lead of the group as his strong paws carried him fast forward.

After hearing Wind's gasping explanation when they arrived (it sounded something like 'Slipped- Four- saved me- fell- water- he fell!!') those of them who could scaled the small cliff. Wild was the quickest down, with Twilight being a close second. They were on opposite sides of the river that got wider further downstream, and both sprinted down it, eyes wildly searching for Four.

Twilight hated to admit it, but he felt a little panicked. He tried to keep a cool head but it was hard, especially with everything happening so suddenly. Four usually kept himself well out of harm's way. He was steadfastly calm and collected, keeping a level head even during heated battle. They had mostly stopped keeping eyes on him during fights, because they all knew he could handle himself, his small stature excellent for dodging attacks.

But now, now he was fighting a battle against a force of nature, and as far as Twilight was concerned, Four couldn't swim.

"There!!" A figure was drifting in the river close to Twilight's side, and after a few more leaps he jumped into the river, feeling the cold of the water seep into his fur and chilling him to the bone.

He closed his jaw around Four's hood, tasting blood, swimming back to the shore as he pulled him along. The second they both were safely upon the grass Twilight transformed once more, the only other in close proximity being Wild, who made his way across the river using pillars of ice appearing from seemingly nowhere.

All of Twilight's attention went back to Four. The smallest hero was laying completely still, all pasty and white and limp. A deep gash ran across his forehead, the headband long gone. The rich red smearing his face and hair was a stark contrast to the paleness coloring his body but his lips stood out the most, blue as they were.

Four wasn't breathing. Twilight hyperfixated on that. He wasn't breathing, and there was no pulse to be found either as he laid his fingers across his neck to check.

Wild knelt down beside them, producing a heart tonic from his satchel. He lightly tipped the content into Four's mouth, but he wasn't swallowing. The liquid spilled out from his mouth, dropping down his chin.

"This isn't good. Not good at all." Twilight was definitely close to panicking now. What did you do in a situation like this? How did you get a heart to beat when it couldn't on its own? In the middle of this the others arrived, all different shades of worried. Time stepped forward, expression firm.

"How is he?"

Wild grimaced. "There's no pulse. He didn't swallow the tonic."

Time nodded, looking like he almost had expected it. "Alright. I know what to do. Legend, Sky, I saw a few fairies to the east from here. Go get them." Legend and Sky nodded, taking of with no hesitation. Then the eldest of them knelt down, Twilight and Wild giving him some space. Time pinched Four's nose shut with his fingers, before he leant down and breathed in air. The rest of them were watching, some confused, other just anxious.

Then Time let go, placing his hands on Four's chest, his hands pushing and releasing in a set rhythm. He repeated the process over and over, though without significant results. Wind was crying at this point, and Warriors and Hyrule solemnly looked away.

Then they heard a cough. Small, weak, barely there but it had come from Four. Then more coughs followed in rapid succession, his whole body shaking as they grew louder and harsher. Twilight helped him sit up, lightly hitting his back as Four was emptying his lungs of water, hacking at the bile that followed. It took a while before it stopped, Four greedily gasping in breath after breath before opening his eyes. His whole body was shivering, and he looked up at Twilight with clouded eyes. "T-t-twi? Dr-drowned... W-we're s-so co-cold..." Four fell against Twilight's chest, eyes slipping closed once more. They all breathed out a collective sigh of relief, but knew Four was still in the danger zone.

"Let's get back to camp. He needs what warmth he can get, and definitely the help of a fairy." Time quickly bandaged Four's head, before carefully lifting him up. To him Four weighed close to nothing, both short and lithe. The poor thing was absolutely trembling in his grasp, no doubt the cold having taken a hold on him.

"Warriors, Hyrule, stay here until Sky and Legend comes back. The rest of you can follow me."

It took a bit longer to get back, with Time having to walk to the edge of the cliff to be able to get up with Four in one piece. Wild and Wind had advanced without them, making sure that the fire was warm and cozy in time for when they came back, and also that their food was still edible.

Twilight was definitely feeling the cold when he and Time arrived with Four, and quickly changed out of his drenched clothes in favour of a dry set. In the meantime Wind helped Time with laying out a few furs Wild and Legend had gotten from an earlier hunt, laying Four down on them after removing his wet clothes. Wild digged around in his items, eventually finding a cloak he laid over Four, Time doing the same thing. They all saw the dark spots on his body, knowing the next few days would be harsh on Four. He had always been prone to both bruising and the cold. He was still shaking, teeth chattering.

"Guys!"

The others had finally returned, Sky and Legend sprinting the last part. They handed Time a bottle containing a fairy each to Time, panting. "Here."

"Thank you," Time said, smiling. He put one of the bottles close to Four, uncorking it. The fairy flew over him, working some magic before taking off in the late evening sky. A tad more colour returned to Four's cheeks, and he took a deep breath, the extreme shaking subsiding some.

Hyrule now took to addressing the wound once more, this time cleaning it properly. The fairy had helped closing it up some, and it was hardly bleeding anymore. Hyrule smiled a little and wrapped it tightly, the bandage serving as a substitute for his usual headband. They would have to get him a new one. After that he gave Four some potion, grinning when he saw it being swallowed. At least now Four would get some help in healing, though his body would still have to do the brunt of the work, having to fight through an unavoidable fever.

There wasn't much left for them to do aside from keeping Four warm and watch over him, so they ate dinner in relative peace. Wild decided to make some soup for Four, flavouring it with healing herbs and a tiny bit of chili, both because it would warm Four quicker up and also because he liked spicy food. He sat it aside, ready to be heated at a moment's notice.

Four woke up when the last rays of the sun faded, coming to with a quiet groan. Warriors immediately whipped his head around, edging closer.

"Four?"

This got the attention of the rest of the company and all previous conversation faded out. Hyrule and Twilight both walked over as Four pushed himself up into a sitting position, the cloak falling to his waist and revealing his bruised body. "W-warriors? Wh-where's W-wind?" His voice was chattering, warmth still not regained Hyrule noted with concern. He shouldn't be so cold still.

"I'm here." Wind poked his head out from behind Warriors, still feeling guilty over the incident. Four smiled and Wind relaxed his furrowed brow.

"G-good." Then Four looked over at Hyrule and Twilight, who were both studying him. "Wh-what's the s-status?" he asked, curious. Aside from the cold he didn't feel much, and he wanted to know how far gone he had been.

Twilight took it upon himself to tell him the whole tale. By the time he was finished Wild had reheated the soup he made earlier, and handed the bowl to Four who accepted it gratefully. "It s-smells delicious, Wild," he said, a smile on his lips. He started eating as conservations sparked up around him, all relieved to see Four doing okay.

Wind sat down next to Four. "I'm sorry," he said, "hadn't it been for me then-"

Four swallowed a spoonful of soup before shaking his head. "Shut it. I-it was no-nothing but an accident. D-don't be s-sorry!"

Four finished the bowl before yawning. His body had finally regained some sort of warmth, most likely thanks to Wild's cooking. It didn't take long until he slipped under once more, the cloaks pulled up to his chin.

The night was definitely over them now, so after deciding on who would keep watch the rest prepared for sleep too, finding what they considered the best spots.

Wind hesitated though. He had been quite shaken after the incident, and couldn't help but feeling guilty still, even after Four telling him not to be. If he only hadn't slipped...

The others had been nice to him even after he had properly told what happened, and Sky had been especially good at comforting him. But seeing Four's still shivering form, running his eyes over the bandaged head had Wind feeling guilty anew, yet he also craved comfort. No one stopped him when he stripped down to his underwear, laying his cot beside Four and slipping under the cloaks, throwing an arm over Four in an attempt to share his warmth with him. It might be just his imagination, but Wind thought he saw Four's shaking subside, his furrowed brow relaxing. It didn't take long before Wind fell asleep, Four being the last thing he saw.

When Twilight's watch was over the two was joined by a wolf, curled up around the two youngest of their company, keeping them safe and warm in the light of the flickering campfire. 

**Author's Note:**

> There's way too little content of Four. I love him, and Wind and Four are just the cutest. Gotta protect them!


End file.
